Wire drawing machine full bundle shut-off



Feb. 15, 1966 R. M. SCOTT 3,235,201

WIRE DRAWING MACHINE FULL BUNDLE SHUT-OFF F INVENTOR.

H 4 Edger .772. ScoZfZ QZZ WF'W H ZZoTneys Feb. 15, 1966 R. M. SCOTT WIRE DRAWING MACHINE FULL BUNDLE SHUT-OFF 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Filed Dec. 2, 1963 imp/W W H or'neys Feb. 15, 1966 R. M. SCOTT 3,235,201 WIRE DRAWING MACHINE FULL BUNDLE SHUT-OFF Filed Dec. 2, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

R0ge'r 771. Scott BY N WW W Him United States Patent to Morgan Mass., a corpora- This invention relates to means for accumulating wire in coils and more particularly to, a means of automatically interrupting the operation of; a wire drawing machine when a Wire bundle of a predetermined size and Weight;

has been accumulatedthereon.

Conventional wire drawing machines, are comprised basically of a rotating block positioned adjacent a sta-. tionary die with guide pins extending upwardly theree from, During operation of the machine, the rotating block operates to first draw the wire through-the die, and

thereafter to wind it. about the upwardly disposed guide pins in order to form a tightly coiled bundle. The rotating block and its associated pins are so designed as to cause the coiled bundle to-be formed initially about the base of the block and thereafter to; grow upwardly around the pins as the drawing operation proceeds. Considerable importance is attached; to stopping the drawing machine at the proper time in order to produce coiled bundles of a relatively uniform size and weight. Of equal importance is the fact that should the bundle be allowed to grow until it rises above the upper ends; of the guide pins, wire will thereafter be thrown outwardly under centrifugal force.

This in turn results in a most; dangerous situation where operators are likely to,-be severely injured by wire being thrown;outwardly from the draw block. Moreover, the wire will quickly becorne; snarled and tangled causing extended losses of production time. It is therefore apparent that extreme caution must-be exercised in preventing the overgrowth of the coiledjwire bundles on the guide pins during the wire drawing operation.

Although various types of apparatus have been developedlin the past in an attempt to' accurately control the timely stoppage of wiredr-awihg; machines, they have proved only moderately successful and have therefore failed to adequately meet the demands of the industry. More particularly, mechanical switches in the form. of levers, or pivotally mountedfingers were atfirst mounted adjacent the rotating block; and; connected through various electrical means to the block driving mechanisms. As the height of the bundle; increased during the drawing operation, the upper strands eventually contacted the lever which in turn eifectuated; a-v stoppage of the block.

driving mechanism. However, experience soon showed that these mechanical switches were impractical in that they necessitated the frequent attention of an operator whowas required to move theswiteh' when clearing the wire drawing machine and thereafter to reset the. position of the switch before again placing the machine in operation.

In view of the above, mechanical switches were eventually discarded in favor of" more sophisticated arrangements involving the use of electric eye sensing devices. In this type; of apparatus, the growing bundle interrupts a beam of light being directed from a light source to a lightsensitive target element. The target element. is electrically connected to the block driving mechanism and designed to cause a stoppage thereofwhen. the beam of light is interrupted. Although this arrangement avoids the necessity of re-setting the switch after the machine had been cleared, other disadvantages accompanying its use have now become apparent.

For example, the delicate components comprising the electric eye sensing devices are often damaged during the operation of the wire drawing machine. This in turn necessitates frequent repairs and replacement of component parts, resulting in high maintenance costs due to the substantial expenditures of time and money required to keep the switches in an operative condition. Furthermore, the electric eye lenses often become soiled during operation of the wire drawing machines. This in turn causes an interruption of the light beam with an accompanying unintentional interruption in the operation of the wire drawing machine prior to the production of a full bundle.

In addition, when adjusting the electric eye switches to produce bundles of varying weights, adjustment and accurate vertical alignment of both the light source and the light sensitive target element isrequired.

These disadvantages have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention, a general object of which is to provide an improved means of automatically controlling the operation of a wire drawing machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic full bundle shut-off mechanism for a wire drawing machine capable of being operated for extended periods of time without maintenance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic full bundle shut-off mechanism capable of operating continuously without being inadvertently damaged during normal operations of the wire drawing machine; 7

A further object of the present invention is to provide an automatic full bundle shut-oi? mechanism so positioned in relation tothe drawing block as to avoid the necessity of its being reset'and adjusted during the bundle clearing operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic full bundle shut-off mechanism capable of quick and convenient vertical'adjustment in order to vary the weight of the bundle being produced by the wire drawing machine.

These and other objects or". the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a conventional drawing block with a portion of the pivotally mounted guard door broken away to show the applicants proximity switch positioned over a wire bundle being accumulated onthe rotating block;

FIG. 2 is a plan view on a reduced scale of FIG. 1;

FIG; 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the pivot ally mounted guard door in its open position in preparation for the removal of the completed bundle from the wire drawing machine.

Referring initially to FIG. 1 wherein are best shown the general features of the applicants invention, a wire bundling mechanism generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 is shown mounted on a portion of the draw bench 12. The wire bundling mechanism is of a conventional design and is comprised basically of a draw block 14 journalledv for rotation about its vertical axis associated die (not shown) fixed to the draw bench 12. As the block rotates, the wire is pulled through the die and wound on the block to form a coil or bundle. As wire continues to accumulate on the draw block, the height of the bundle will gradually increase causing it to extend upwardly beyond the top surface of the block into an accumulated position surrounding the guide pins 16.

In most instances, a weighted metal ring 19 of any magnetic substance is initially slidably positioned surrounding guide pins 16 in order to provide further bundle stabilization as the coiling operation proceeds. As the height of the bundle 18 increases, ring 19 is simply displaced upwardly about pins 16. Bundle growth will continue in this manner until rotation of the draw block is interrupted.

Should the wire being drawn through the die break at any time during the drawing operation, the loose ends would continue to rotate, creating a safety hazard for operating personnel. This danger is in some instances elminated by enclosing the draw block within a guard housing comprised of a fixed semi-circular guard wall 20 having hinged thereon a semi-circular pivotally mounted guard door 22. With this construction, it can therefore be seen that should the wire break during the wire drawing operation, the loose ends will be contained within the guard housing and will be prevented from creating a safety hazard to the operating personnel.

As mentioned above, the bundle 18 being accumulated by the rotation of the draw block 14 will continue to growth until the drawing operation is discontinued. This being so, the possibility exists that the bundle will inadvertently be allowed to grow until it surpasses the upper extremity of the guide pins 16. Should this occur, it is evident that the top coils of wire would no longer be supported in any way and would consequently be thrown outwardly under the centrifugal forces developed by the rotating draw block. In addition to creating an extremely serious safety hazard, this would of course result in the wire becoming snarled and tangled. In order to prevent this occurence, a full-bundle stop mechanism generally indicated by the reference numeral 24 has been provided in order to interrupt the drawing operation at a point when the bundle has reached the desired size. As shown in the drawings, the bundle stop is comprised basically of a vertically extending support shaft 26 mounted on the outside of guard door 22 by means of outwardly extending brackets 28. Aligned directly behind shaft 26 is an elongated slot 30 extending vertically through guard door 22. An adjustable supporting arm 32 extends radially through slot 30 into the interior of the wire drawing mechanism with one end thereof terminating in an adjustable mounting bracket 34 attached to the shaft 26. Locking means, herein shown for illustrative purposes in the form of bolts 36 extend through the bracket 34 in order to provide a means of tightening the bracket and fixing the arm 32 to the shaft at any point along its longitudinal axis. With this construction, the arm 32 can be vertically displaced within slot 30 by first loosening bolts 36 and thereafter simply sliding bracket 34 along shaft 26. When the desired adjustment is attained, the bolts are simply tightened to fix the arm in position. Other locking means, as for example a cam handle, can be similarly positioned adjacent the shaft 26.

The sensing head 38 of a proximity switch is mounted on the other end of vertically adjustable supporting arm 32 to extend downwardly therefrom. As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sensing head 38 is placed in a position overlying the bundle being accumulated by the rotating draw block when the guard door 22 is in a closed position. The sensing head 38 is in turn connected through wire 40 to a remotely positioned control panel 42 which is in turn wired to a circuit opening relay in the machine stop circuit. When the weighted ring 19 comes within range of the sensing head 38 during bundle growth, a signal'is fed to the control panel 42, causing the circuit opening relay in the machine stop circuit to open and shut down the wire drawing machine. In installations where a weighted ring is not utilized, the uppermost coils of the bundle will act in a similar manner when approaching the sensing head. With this construction, rotation of the drawing block is immediately stopped as soon as either weighted ring 19 or the upper strands of the coil come within range of the sensing head 38. By vertically adjusting the supporting arm 32 with relation to the support shaft 26, the

vertical position of the sensing head can be easily varied.

This is turn enables the operator to control the weight of the bundle being accumulated by the wire bundling mechanism.

It should be noted also that since the adjustable supporting arm 32 is in effect mounted in fixed relationship to the guard door 22, movement of the guard door about its pivotal hinge 44 will result in a corresponding movement of both the supporting arm 32 and sensing head 38. When removing a bundle from the wire bundling mechanism, the guard door 22 must first be opened to gain access to the interior of the bundling mechanism. As shown in FIG. 3, this will automatically result in the sensing head 38 and adjustable supporting arm 32 being pivotally displaced to a remote position away from the accumulated bundle. Following the removal of the bundle and the attachment of the next strand of wire to be wound on the draw block, the operator need only close the guard door 22 in order to re-position the sensing head 38 in its operative position overlying the draw block. This of course obviates any necessity of the operator taking special precautions to see that the bundle stop mechanism is accurately positioned.

It is my intention to cover all changes and modifications of the invention herein chosen for purposes of disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It is claimed:

1. For use with a wire drawing machine having a rotatable draw block around which a wire bundle is accumulated, means for automatically stopping operation of the machine when the wire bundle attains a predetermined size, said means comprising a cylindrical guard housing surrounding the rotatable draw block, said guard housing divided vertically into first and second wall segments, said first wall segment fixed to the machine and having hinged thereto said second wall seg ment, said second wall segment capable of being pivotally displaced relative to said first wall segment from a closed operative position to an open position in order to provide access to said block, said second wall segment having a vertical opening therein, an arm carried by said second wall segment and vertically adjustable through said opening, the inner end of said arm overlying said block when said second wall segment is in the closed operative position, a sensing device mounted on the inner end of said arm, and means actuated by said sensing device for interrupting the operation of said machine when wire being accumlated on said rotatable draw block comes within operative range of said sensing device.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sensing device is comprised of a proximity switch, said switch connected to a circuit opening relay in the machine stop circuit.

3. For use with a wire drawing machine having a draw block mounted for rotation about its vertical axis in order to accumulate a bundle of wire thereon, automatic full bundle shut-off means for stopping the rotation of said draw block when a bundle of predetermined size has been accumulated thereon, said bundle shutoff means comprising a cylindrical enclosure surrounding said draw block, said enclosure divided into first and second wall segments, said first wall segment fixed to said machine and having said second wall segment pivotally attached thereto to form a door, said door capable of being pivoted from a closed operative position adjacent said first wall segment to an open position in order to provide means of gaining access to said draw block, said door having a slot extending vertically therethrough, a guide shaft fixed to said door and extend ing vertically adjacent said slot, a supporting arm carried by said guide shaft and extending radially through said slot with its inner end overlying said block when said door is in a closed operative position, said arm slidably mounted on said shaft for vertical adjustment within said slot, a proximity switch mounted on the inwardly disposed end of said supporting arm, means actuated by said proximity switch for shutting down the drawing machine when the upper portion of a bundle accumulating on the draw block comes within operating range of said switch, said switch and arm adapted to be displaced from an operative position to a remote position when said door is opened in order to gain access to said draw block and accumulated full bundle.

References tilted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,681,960 6/1954 Ellison 200-87 2,744,692 5/1956 Phillips et al. 2A2-78 3,081,958 3/1963 Kegg 24257 3,176,096 3/1965 Marcum 200-87 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. STANLEY N. GILREATH, Examiner. 

1. FOR USE WITH A WIRE DRAWING MACHINE HAVING A ROTATABLE DRAW BLOCK AROUND WHICH A WIRE BUNDLE IS ACCUMULATED, MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING OPERATION OF THE MACHINE WHEN THE WIRE BUNDLE ATTAINS A PREDETERMINED SIZE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL GUARD HOUSING SURROUNDING THE ROTATABLE DRAW BLOCK, SAID GUARD HOUSING DIVIDED VERTICALLY INTO FIRST AND SECOND WALL SEGMENTS, SAID FIRST WALL SEGMENT FIXED TO THE MACHINE AND HAVING HINGED THERETO SAID SECOND WALL SEGMENT, SAID SECOND WALL SEGMENT CAPABLE OF BEING PIVOTALLY DISPLACED RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST WALL SEGMENT FROM A CLOSED OPERATIVE POSITION TO AN OPEN POSITION IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO SAID BLOCK, SAID SECOND WALL SEGMENT HAVING A VERTICAL OPENING THEREIN, AN ARM CARRIED BY SAID SECOND WALL SEGMENT AND VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE THROUGH SAID OPENING, THE INNER END OF SAID ARM OVERLYING SAID BLOCK WHEN SAID SECOND WALL SEGMENT IS IN THE CLOSED OPERATIVE POSITION, A SENSING DEVICE MOUNTED ON THE INNER END OF SAID ARM, AND MEANS ACTUATED BY SAID SENSING DEVICE FOR INTERRUPTING THE OPERATION OF SAID MACHINE WHEN WIRE BEING ACCUMULATED ON SAID ROTATABLE DRAW BLOCK COMES WITHIN OPERATIVE RANGE OF SAID SENSING DEVICE. 